Share on social media

×

WINDHOEK – Contrary to reports that Oshakati’s Africa Motto Football Club has gained promotion to the Namibia Premier League (NPL) at the expense of overall winners Military School (MS) Okahandja Football Club, NFA secretary-general Barry Rukoro late yesterday shot down such reports and said the issue is still enjoying the attention of his office and a final decision will be communicated in due course.

It was late yesterday reported that the leadership of the North West First Division (NWFD) had resolved to promote Motto FC to the NPL instead of NWFD’s overall winners Military School, who are prohibited by the NFA’s promotion/relegation laws to participate in the NPL at this stage.

The presumably Namibia Defence Force (NDF) owned Military School won the two-legged promotional play-off 1-0 against African Motto two weeks ago and in the process gained promotion to the NPL but since another NDF-owned club Mighty Gunners are already campaigning in the NPL, the NFA’s laws on club ownership prohibits promotion of an individual, including holding companies and subsidiaries from owning more than one club in the same league.

In fear of breaching NFA statutes, NWFD’s leadership are said to have opted to rather promote Motto FC and relegate the Military School back to the NWFD – a decision that was met with stern resistance from the Military School’s leadership.
But when approached for clarity on the matter yesterday, Rukoro quashed such reports and labelled them premature at this stage, as the promotion issue is still enjoying the attention of his office and once a conclusion is reached a formal communiqué will be issued by the NFA.

“I have seen letters circulating on social media stating that Africa Motto have been promoted but without going much into the whole issue, what I can inform you at this point is that the NFA, which has the legal authority to announce promotions and relegations, is still busy with the matter and once we are done doing our job, a final decision will be made public. So for now nothing is final and whatever media reports are out there, they are equally premature as nothing formal has been announced from our side,” briefly said Rukoro, promising that an announcement will be made in due course. –Adapted from Nampa